This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Despite the onset of the “electronic age,” there is still significant demand for print products. Indeed, commercial print often may have annual retail sales totaling more than $700 billion. Print service providers (PSPs) fulfill the demand for print products by printing a vast array of print products, such as photographs, brochures, school course materials, periodicals, books, advertisements, and/or product packaging. Once a job order is released to the PSP floor for production, it goes through four stages of production (Pre-press, Press, Post-Press, and Shipping.) As automated gathering of process information through each of these stages increases, information relating to each stage of production becomes more readily available. Accordingly, there is a need to develop systems and techniques to utilize this information to allow for more efficient processing of print jobs.